3 minute read

Shane and Cassie Oxlade have options aplenty with talented sprinter Sghirripa after his breakthrough Melbourne win in the $200,000 Listed Christmas Stakes at Caulfield over 1100m on Boxing Day.

The son of Lonhro claimed his sixth win from just 13 starts at his first run for five and a half weeks with Craig Newitt in the saddle.

The stable could tackle the $750,000 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in late February or take hold and aim up at the Adelaide Racing Carnival and Group 1 Goodwood at Morphettville in May.

"He'll go back somewhere along the line, I'm not too sure,'' Cassie Oxlade said on RadioTAB.

"He'll go to the paddock for eight or 10 days. He's got a free entry into the Oakleigh Plate and we have the Carnival here at home."

"We'll sit down and go through the calendar,'' he said.

Most impressive for Oxlade was the horse's ability to come back underneath Newitt when he wanted to race keenly after being driven up underneath horses after he was slow to leave the gates.

"He just stepped a touch slow, but he mustered good speed,'' Oxlade said.

"He was back a little further than I would have liked but got a nice run up behind them.

"He's had that tendency to go hard, so to get a dig and come back was good to see,'' he said.

The stable are also looking at their interstate options with Queman who was also being set for a Melbourne trip before pulling up poorly following a recent Strathalbyn jump-out

"I wasn't happy with him after his jump out, he didn't do well when he came home in the yard,'' Oxlade said.

"I'd love to find a 1000m race for him at the Valley or around Caulfield,'' he said.

Watch Sghirripa's Caulfield Christmas Stakes win here.